Celtic Woman Believe Tour Concert Review

Last night I "Believe" I was in the presence of angels. Celtic Woman came to Portland for their new Believe Tour to the Keller Auditorium at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts. My husband and I got to go free for reviewing their CD and DVD on my blog previously. We don't usually get these opportunities to go out on dates as just the two of us anymore since having children, so this was quite the treat! This was an awesome early birthday present for me too (My birthday is May 10th).

We arrived there right on time to will call to pick up our tickets and be escorted to our seats. Little did we know that I would be right in the front row! I could touch the stage! Unfortunately the two seats weren't right next to each other they were one in front of the other. Even though we didn't get to hold hands and snuggle as much as we wanted to we both enjoyed the show thoroughly and we clapped til our hands hurt and gave a whole lot of standing ovations. Celtic Woman definitely deserved all of the applause and standing ovations made by the audience that night. They were spectacular! We also picked up a $20 program during intermission because I wanted something besides the tickets to take home with me as memorabilia.

If you have seen the Believe DVD you know how fantastically decorated and ornate the set on stage and gowns the Celtic Woman wear are. Well they brought all of that to Portland. From the drapery in the background of the scrolling archway to the chandeliers, it was all very lovely. I really enjoyed being so close that I could even see the stagehands up in the scaffolding doing the theatrical lighting. The lighting was grand and there was a scrolling pattern on the raised parts of the stage on either side where the drummers were that when ever was hit by the light it changed that color. They also projected patterns of things on the ceiling of the theater sometimes. The wardrobe of the women was embroidered and ornate as well and made the foursome look very elegant and princess-like.

For the DVD and CD the group is made up of 4 women: vocalists Chloë Agnew, Lisa Kelly, Lisa Lambe and Celtic violinist Máiréad Nesbitt. For this Believe 2012 tour a new member Susan McFadden joined the group while Lisa Kelly takes pregnancy leave. Even though this was Susan's first tour with Celtic Woman she was awesome and the whole group seemed like they had warmed up to her nicely. Lisa Lambe said this was her very first time in Portland and she was enjoying herself. Chloë Agnew, the veteran member of the group mentioned that usually when they come to Portland it is rainy like Ireland and it reminds them of home because of all the green, but this time they had some sun and it was a nice change. Chloë has been with the group since 2004 when she was age 14. She and Máiréad have been the constants while the rest of the group has changed over time. All these changes to the group really hasn't broken any bonds between all these wonderful woman and you can see how well they get along with each other on stage. They also feature dancers, including champion Irish dancer Craig Ashurst, bagpipers, a six-piece band and the Aontas Choir.

The most memorable song I think for me for this concert was Ave Maria sung by Chloë. She was so breathtaking! I loved her gorgeous voice to this well known song. They also, like they did on the DVD, invited the audience to sing "Green Grow The Rushes" and I sang my heart out :) I absolutely loved seeing Celtic violinist Máiréad Nesbitt leap around the stage like a deer while in heals and playing her violin as she danced, her long flowing dress whipping around her like billowing clouds. Once again my heart ached to play the violin again. My husband joked that if I get another violin that he would expect me to dance with so much high energy while I play like she did. I also loved the bagpipes, even though there was not 16 like on the DVD, they were wonderful. Being so close to the stage makes you wonder if the performers are actually making eye contact and smiling at you some of the time. I thought I caught a glimpse of Máiréad winking at me and smiling as she danced and played, but who knows, it could have been my husband she was winking at, LOL!

After all  the fabulous performances by the Celtic Woman were done we stayed after a bit, as people were clearing out, to see the stagehands take the set apart. We also saw people line up for the VIP tour. I would love it if maybe next time we could get VIP passes to see them backstage or have a VIP tour of everything and maybe get to meet them. All in all we had a fantastic time at the concert and definitely would love to see Celtic Woman again when they are back in town.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to the rep and Celtic Woman for sending me tickets for free for the concert to review on my blog. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Celtic Woman Believe DVD and CD Review and Giveaway

I am so excited to be reviewing the Celtic Woman Believe DVD and CD. I had heard about the Celtic Woman in passing conversation, but never had I heard their performance. I was pleasantly blown away at their fabulous talent. For this DVD and CD the group is made up of 4 women: vocalists Chloë Agnew, Lisa Kelly, Lisa Lambe and Celtic violinist Máiréad Nesbitt. For the Believe 2012 tour a new member Susan McFadden has joined the group while Lisa Kelly is on pregnancy leave.

During two sold out nights at The Fox Theatre (Atlanta, GA) in Sept 2011 the live concert DVD was filmed for the first time in America in front of some of Celtic Woman's most loyal fans. Instead of listening to the CD, I saw the DVD first and not only is the whole performance a sight to behold but the set design and wardrobe were breathtaking. I loved the stunning dresses, that are pictured below, the best. They are gorgeous and the bead work and embroidery is lovely! The set is beautiful too. I love all the scroll work that went into it and the drapery, arch and chandeliers give it a nice touch. I love the opening song of the DVD. Tears of joy were welling up in my eyes at the sight and sound of it. My favorite part of the DVD was "The Foxhunter". Since I play the violin (albeit not that well) I have a love for violin music. My heart swelled at Máiréad Nesbitt's performance. She is a spectacular violinist and she can dance while she plays. For "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "You'll Never Walk Alone" they brought on a children's choir to sing with them. For "Green Grow The Rushes" they involved the audience with the singing. "Mná na hÉireann" is another violin piece played by Máiréad, but an Irish clog dancer also takes the stage. The songs "My Heart Was Home Again", "A Tribute to Broadway", "Green Grow The Rushes", "Smile", and "Mná na hÉireann" are additions to the DVD and not included on the CD. The next to the last song on the DVD before the credits, "The Parting Glass", sets a great grand finale as several bagpipers (more than I have ever seen in a performance) come out of the woodwork and onto the stage to join Celtic Woman. Click HERE to see the DVD trailer. I am so excited to also be able to go to their concert with my husband in April and see them up close in the Keller Auditorium.

BELIEVE LIVE DVD Playlist:
01. Awakening
02. Follow On
03. The Foxhunter
04. Nocturne
05. Sailing
06. Bridge Over Troubled Water
07. Black Is The Colour
08. The World Falls Away
09. My Heart Was Home Again
10. A Tribute to Broadway: I Dreamed A Dream/Circle of Life
11. Téir Abhaile Riú
12. A Woman's Heart
13. The Water Is Wide
14. Green Grow The Rushes
15. You'll Never Walk Alone
16. Smile
17. Walking The Night
18. A Spaceman Came Traveling
19. Ave Maria
20. Mná na hÉireann
21. The Parting Glass
22. At The Ceili

The Believe CD has 15 selections from the Believe Live DVD. This enchanting seventh studio album of the Celtic Woman is a great companion to the DVD. I love listening to this CD in my van and when I am at home or relaxing. This CD is a great listen and Celtic Woman's voices and music is angelic. My favorite song on both the DVD and CD is "Téir Abhaile Riú". Such a wonderful upbeat song that just makes me want to dance. Click on the link above and you can hear it too :) The cover to both the DVD and CD features Lisa Lambe on the front of it and I absolutely love her red hair and curls there. She also looks great as a blonde, but I am kinda partial to red heads because of my daughter Tatiana.

BELIEVE CD Playlist:
01. Awakening
02. Nocturne
03. Sailing
04. The Foxhunter
05. The Water Is Wide
06. Bridge Over Troubled Water
07. Black Is The Colour
08. Follow On
09. Ave Maria
10. Téir Abhaile Riú
11. You'll Never Walk Alone
12. A Spaceman Came Traveling
13. Songs From The Heart: Walking The Night/The World Falls Away
14. A Woman's Heart
15. The Parting Glass

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BUY IT:
Believe DVD: http://amzn.to/vZcIIN at $13.99.
Believe CD: http://amzn.to/yVl7Ob at $9.99. These would be a wonderful Valentine gift for a fan!

Tour Dates
February 03, 2012   Nashville, TN   TPAC
February 04, 2012   Nashville, TN   TPAC
February 07, 2012   Knoxville, TN   Civic Auditorium
February 08, 2012   Greenville, SC   BI-LO Center
February 09, 2012   Atlanta, GA   Fox Theatre
February 11, 2012   Birmingham, AL   BJCC
February 12, 2012   Huntsville, AL   Von Braun Center
February 14, 2012   Tampa, FL   David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts
February 15, 2012   Jacksonville, FL   Times Union Center for the Performing Arts
February 16, 2012   Gainesville, FL   Stephen C. O’Connell Center
February 17, 2012   Orlando, FL   UCF Arena
February 18, 2012   Melbourne, FL   Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts
February 21, 2012   Charlotte, NC   Ovens Auditorium
February 22, 2012   Charlottesville, VA   John Paul Jones Arena
February 24, 2012   North Charleston, SC   N. Charleston Performing Arts Center
February 25, 2012   Asheville , NC   Asheville Civic Center
February 26, 2012   Columbia, SC   Koger Center
February 28, 2012   Roanoke, VA   Civic Center
February 29, 2012   Norfolk, VA   Chrysler Hall
March 02, 2012   Raleigh, NC   Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts
March 03, 2012   Fairfax, VA   Patriot Center
March 04, 2012   Baltimore, MD   Hippodrome Theatre
March 06, 2012   Hershey, PA   Giant Center
March 08, 2012   Philadelphia, PA   Liacouras Center
March 09, 2012   Boston, MA   The Wang Theatre
March 10, 2012   Boston, MA   The Wang Theatre
March 11, 2012   New York, NY   Radio City Music Hall
March 13, 2012   Syracuse, NY   Landmark Theatre
March 14. 2012   Albany, NY   Palace Theatre
March 16, 2012   Manchester, NH   Verizon Wireless Arena
March 17, 2012   Wallingford, CT   Oakdale Theatre
March 18, 2012   Uncasville, CT   Mohegan Sun Arena
March 20, 2012   Richmond, VA   Landmark Theater
March 21, 2012   Pittsburgh, PA Consol   Energy Center
March 23, 2012   Detroit, MI   Fox Theatre
March 24, 2012   Cincinnati, OH   Aronoff Center for the Arts
March 25, 2012   West Lafayette, IN   Elliott Hall of Music
March 27, 2012   Akron, OH   Civic Theatre
March 28, 2012   Columbus, OH   Palace Theatre
March 30, 2012   Chicago, IL   Rosemont Theatre
March 31, 2012   Chicago, IL   Rosemont Theatre
April 01, 2012   St. Paul, MN   Xcel Energy Center
April 03, 2012   Champaign, IL   Assembly Hall Star Theatre
April 04, 2012   Kansas City, MO   Music Hall
April 05, 2012   Little Rock, AR   Robinson Center
April 06, 2012   Memphis, TN   Orpheum Theatre
April 07, 2012   Memphis, TN   Orpheum Theatre
April 10, 2012   Louisville, KY   The Palace Theater
April 11, 2012   St. Louis, MO   Fox Theatre
April 12, 2012   Wichita, KS   Century II Performing Arts Center
April 14, 2012   Dallas, TX   Verizon Theatre
April 15, 2012   Baton Rouge, LA   River Center Arena
April 16, 2012   Houston, TX   Jones Hall
April 18, 2012   Denver, CO   Wells Fargo Theater
April 19, 2012   Salt Lake City, UT   Energy Solutions Arena
April 21, 2012   Portland, OR   Keller Auditorium
April 22, 2012   Spokane, WA   INB PAC
April 23, 2012   Seattle, WA   Paramount Theatre
April 25, 2012   Sacramento, CA   Memorial Auditorium
April 27, 2012   Phoenix, AZ   Comerica Theatre
April 28, 2012   Los Angeles, CA   Nokia Theatre L.A. Live
April 29, 2012   Las Vegas, NV   The Smith Center for Performing Arts

WIN IT:
A representative for the group is generously giving one lucky reader a chance to win a signed copy of either the DVD or the CD. We will have a total of two winners. One winning the DVD and the other winning the CD.

Mandatory:
Go to the Celtic Woman website and tell me which of the prizes you would love the most (CD or DVD).

Additional entries:
1. Subscribe to my blog by feedburner or by email and let me know which way. (3 extra entries each)

2. Fan/Like me on facebook and write something on my wall. (1 extra entry)

3. Follow me on Google Friend Connect (GFC) on the right sidebar and/or Networked Blogs Let me know what your user name is. (2 extra entries each)

4. Blog about this giveaway on your blog and provide me with the link. Make sure you have the link to this post and Celtic Woman in your blog entry or it won't count. (2 extra entries)

5. Give me a brief POSITIVE review on Alexa and provide me with your user name. (3 extra entries)

6. Grab My Button (see sidebar to the right) AND/OR Put My Blog URL in Your Blogroll - Leave Your Link. (1 extra entry)

7. Technorati my blog and let me know your link. (1 extra entry)

8. Fave me on Momfaves. (2 extra entries)

9. List this giveaway on any giveaway listing website or blog Linky/Link-up and tell me where you listed it. (2 extra entries)

10. Write about this giveaway with a link to this post on your Facebook wall, Kirtsy, StumbleUpon, Google+ or other social media website besides Twitter. Let me know where. (2 extra entries for each)

11. Comment on my regular (not giveaway) posts. Let me know which one. (1 extra entry per post you comment on)

12. Follow me on Twitter. (1 extra entry)

13. Tweet this: @finamoon: @Celtic_Woman #WIN #Giveaway Signed Celtic Woman Believe DVD or CD http://bit.ly/vZV5Ko (Daily Extras are Available)

14. Fan/Like Celtic Woman on Facebook. (1 extra entry)

15. Follow Celtic Woman on Twitter. (1 extra entry)

Make sure you leave me your email in all posts so that I can contact you. Don't forget to leave a comment for each task and the correct amount of entries for each task. This contest ends on Friday February 24, 2012 at midnight (GMT-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada). This Giveaway is open to all 18 years and over in the U.S. and Canada ONLY!!

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to the rep and Celtic Woman for sending me product for free to review and one to give away for free. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Holiday Gift Guide 2011 Celtic Christmas by Putumayo World Music Review and Giveaway

Music is an inseparable part of Christmas. Christmas Carols (Noëls) have been around and sung from house to house and in churches for ages. I remember singing with my mother the carols around the piano and loving the family togetherness that I felt. That feeling all comes rushing back to me when the radio starts playing Christmas music during the holidays. I love the holidays, they are truly "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year".

If you are looking for a great gift this year for someone who loves music, Putumayo World Music is a wonderful pick. They have so many albums that are really great. I have reviewed the Putumayo Kids albums before and I love them because they are so multicultural and give the whole family a different musical experience than maybe they are used to.

I received the Celtic Christmas album by Putumayo World Music for free to listen to and review. I love this Christmas CD! Some of the songs on this CD I have heard before, but this CD makes them have a Celtic flair. You will hear traditional instrumentation from the music of Irish, French, Welsh, Norse, Scottish Cornish, and Old English. My favorites are: their version of O Come, O Come Emmanuel, the entrancing Noel Nouvelet, and the beautiful Manx Jezebel Carol! The whole album is a lovely addition to my holiday season.

TRACK LISTING:
01. The Albion Christmas Band - Here We Come A Wassailing - (United Kingdom)
02. Charles T. Cozens - O Come, O Come Emmanuel - (Canada)
03. The Gothard Sisters - Little Drummer Girl - (United States)
04. DruidStone - Noel Nouvelet - (Ireland Republic)
05. David Huntsinger - Angels We Have Heard on High - (United States)
06. Charles T. Cozens - Good King Wenceslas - (Canada)
07. Lasairirfhíona Ní Chonaola - Nollaig Bhan (White Christmas) - (Ireland Republic)
08. Steve Schuch & Night Heron Consort - Joy to the World - (United States)
09. Áine Minogue - Manx Jezebel Carol - (Ireland Republic)
10. David Arkenstone - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - (United States)
11. Dougie MacLean - Auld Lang Syne - (United Kingdom)

BUY IT:
You can get Celtic Christmas for $14.98.

WIN IT:
Beth at Putumayo World Music is giving one lucky reader a chance to win the Celtic Christmas CD.

Mandatory:
1. Go to the Putumayo World Music website and tell me what other CD you would be interested in.

Additional entries:
1. Subscribe to my blog by feedburner or by email and let me know which way. (3 extra entries each)

2. Fan/Like me on facebook and write something on my wall. (1 extra entry)

3. Follow me on Google Friend Connect (GFC) on the right sidebar and/or Networked Blogs Let me know what your user name is. (2 extra entries each)

4. Blog about this giveaway on your blog and provide me with the link. Make sure you have the link to this post and Putumayo World Music in your blog entry or it won't count. (2 extra entries)

5. Give me a brief POSITIVE review on Alexa and provide me with your user name. (3 extra entries)

6. Grab My Button (see sidebar to the right) AND/OR Put My Blog URL in Your Blogroll - Leave Your Link. (1 extra entry)

7. Technorati my blog and let me know your link. (1 extra entry)

8. Fave me on Momfaves. (2 extra entries)

9. List this giveaway on any giveaway listing website or blog Linky/Link-up and tell me where you listed it. (2 extra entries)

10. Write about this giveaway with a link to this post on your Facebook wall, Kirtsy, StumbleUpon, Google+ or other social media website besides Twitter. Let me know where. (2 extra entries for each)

11. Comment on my regular (not giveaway) posts. Let me know which one. (1 extra entry per post you comment on)

12. Follow me on Twitter. (1 extra entry)

13. Tweet this: @finamoon: @PutumayoMusic WIN: Putumayo World Music Celtic Christmas CD http://bit.ly/uNsDui (Daily Extras are Available)

14. Fan/Like Putumayo on Facebook. (1 extra entry)

15. Follow Putumayo on Twitter. (1 extra entry)

Make sure you leave me your email in all posts so that I can contact you. Don't forget to leave a comment for each task and the correct amount of entries for each task. This contest ends on Friday December 16, 2011 at midnight (GMT-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada). This Giveaway is open to all 18 years and over in the U.S. only!!

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Beth Blenz-Cluc​as of Sugar Mountain PR for sending me a Celtic Christmas by Putumayo World Music for free, information about the CD and an extra Celtic Christmas by Putumayo World Music to give away for free. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.